May 25

Hello from a BEAUTIFUL day here in Scarsdale, New York!

So many things have happened in the last two weeks- and it has all gone by SO fast! I feel bad- I haven't really had a chance to sit down and e-mail for a while! Elder McMullin and I have been on the RUN!

We've been driving all over the entire Mission lately- we've been to Manhattan and the Bronx dozens of times already, up to Newburgh and over to Conneticuit and out of the Mission to Queens multiple times too! Good news, I've basically become a PROFESSIONAL city driver- haha! I can finally navigate those crazy streets without feeling claustrophobic or dizzy! SO many one-ways; you have to make loops and loops before you get to where you want to go! Just yesterday, we dropped off Elder Garside and Elder Zwahlen off at JFK Airport- we are going to miss them. They have trained Elder McMullin and I to run around and do all the crazy things they had to do for the past few months- and finally it feels like we've got the hang of things.

Although we run around the Mission and work in the office a lot, we still have an area and we still get to work as Missionaries!! We are covering the Westchester 1st Ward (English) and the Westchester 3rd Branch (Spanish)- our area is White Plains and Scarsdale and a few little cities and towns around the edges like Valhalla (cool name, right?), Greenburgh, Eastchester and a few others. I love this area. We are teaching right now several investigators in both the Spanish and English wards, and they are incredible. Just last week, on the 21st, we met with a young woman named Sandra- she is from Peru! We visited with her and her mom, and we talked with her Dad on Sunday at Church! In our first appointment with her we began talking about baptism- and she quickly said over us- "OH I know all about baptism- and I am ready to be baptized into your church!" She told us she had been praying to know if the Church was true and she said she knows it's the right thing to do. We are all very excited.

Today is the first warm sunny day in about a week- and it's a wonderful day for a YANKEE GAME! We are off very soon to head to YANKEE STADIUM- it's going to be a wonderful day! I'll eat a traditional New York Hot Dog for ya'll back in SLC! If you know anybody going to the game tell them to look for the Missionaries- there'll be about 40 of us there!! haha!

The Church is TRUE!!

B safe, B Sunny, B decked out in YANKEE BLUE!

Always,

Elder Hellberg

May 14, 2011

HELLO from New York!!!

I am EXHAUSTED! I have NOT had adequate SLEEP!!!...
So...! On Wednesday, Elder McMullin and myself got assigned to be the new assistants to President Smith (we call them Apes) and they put us to WORK man! Between tuesday and today I have proabably had a total of 17 hours of sleep and have put on HUNDREDS of miles onto the truck we drive and the HUGE Mission 14 passenger van!!
It was so cool picking up the new Missionaries from Westchester County Airport- I remember my dad told me he used to land and take off from there all the time when he flew for Skaggs! We had MORE incoming missionaries than we have ever had at one time- 20 of them! It was crazy! MOST were Spanish Elders.. 1 Chinese sister and 2 for the English program- I knew one of those! Elder Joshua Stevens from Farmington- he went to South Davis with me and then to Woods Cross! WX represent! I went up to him at the airport and said "you look SO familiar!" He said "BRANDON!" Haha we remembered having Spanish together in Mrs. Vialpando's class 9th grade- and he knew Connor! We loaded them (and their 60 suitcases... 3x each) into the big vans and trucks (we rented a uhaul for all the luggage) and then took them all to the Mission Home! Transfers were on Wednesday ALL DAY and then we drove all the Missionaries going HOME to Laguardia on Thursday morning...! In addition, we've had to make several special errands to the city and back... SO starting on Tuesday morning and ending last night, we went... from... Eastchester to Westchester Airport to Scarsdale to Yonkers to Scarsdale to the Bronx to Ossining to the Bronx to Scarsdale to Yonkers to Eastchester to Scarsdale to LaGuardia (Queens) to Scarsdale to Eastchester to 32nd ST in Manhattan to the Bronx to Scarsdale to Eastchester! AHH! So much GASOLINE! haha! And we are headed down to CHINATOWN soon to drop off some supplies to the Missionaries down there. I am SO excited to be companions with Elder McMullin! He's so great! We were in the same district together down in Kingsbridge! We are now in the White Plains and Scarsdale Spanish area! SO, I'm still in the little wonderful Spanish Branch, Westchester 3rd! Hooray!

Life is going well! It's Busy! But great!
The Church is TRUE!

All my Love,
Elder Hellberg

May the 4th Be With You

HOORAY! MAY 4th!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! You are 29!... AGAIN!! ...YAY!!

AHH! It's MAY! What's that they say about April showers and May flowers? Yeah- it's still raining. But it's beautiful nonetheless!

THIS morning was an ADVENTURE that's for sure. We had to get up at 3:15 AM this morning to be at the Mission Home at 4 to take 3 Missionaries to JFK and LaGuardia Airports- OUTSIDE of Mission Boundaries! haha! The 3 Elders were coming home from thier Mission in Croatia/Slovenia (spelling?) and there was flight delay so they had to spend the night here in NY up at President Smith's house. All the departing Missionaries (all 18 of them!! whoa!) have their final Manhattan Temple trip today so President asked ME to drive them down to the airports!! It was so fun! All 3 Elders were great guys- happy and excited to see their families. We crossed the BIG bridges across onto Long Island and wished them luck as they strolled off to catch planes to go home. We were SO tired upon returning to Westchester County- we just took a NAP right there inside the Church! haha! It's alright, it's P-day Anyway!

I can't believe this cycle is ALREADY coming to a close. This is the last week of cycle 11 for me. It's absurd! Elder Clark, my greenie, is basically not even a greenie anymore! He's doing grand! We are working hard and loving it up here. Yonkers is a TRIP, man- 2 nights ago nobody could use the water- there was a break in the line and only DARK BROWN NASTY water came from the sink and shower! BLEGH!! haha! THAT, my friends, is why ALL Missionary apartments have 20 Gallons of storage water... Good call. We love Sleepy Hollow and the little Branch we meet at every sunday in Scarsdale. We are small, but we are strong- and growing! It's such a wonderful thing to see such great people band together in such a great cause.

We had an AWESOME zone Conference last Thursday. It was such a special one! 10 of the Missionaries from the big group going home got up and bore their testimonies- it was such a sweet experience to see the massive and incredible changes made in so many of these wonderful people. I feel blessed to count many of them among my great friends. We watched a talk my Elder Holland that he gave in January in the MTC- it was so POWERFUL. If you have a way of watching it, do! It feels like FIRE was just re-lit in the Mission. I feel SO lucky to be a part of the Missionary work at this time and in this place full of amazing people. I have come to LOVE New York- and have come to better know the Lord here as well. I have come to know for myself that He Lives.

I wish I had more time... but we are OFF to Peekskill.. I have been asked to dedicate a grave and give a talk at a funeral! More next week!

The Church is TRUE!
All is well!
Elder Hellberg

"B"

April 20, 2011

Hello HOME!

APRIL 20! AHHH!

I'm not even going to make my usual comments on how fast time is going- it feels like I made last week's time comment YESTERDAY!! AHH!!
Things are going well here in the far south of Westchester county!! We are currently in the Scarsdale Chapel and I'm pretty sure I just saw Jay-Z and Beyonce in a Lamborghini Gallardo on our way in!! I definitely saw the car... and they live about 300 yards from the church... so it's possible!! I'm pretending I saw them even if I didn't.

SO Elder Clark and I actually have a pretty good exercise plan!! I have committed myself to lose this extra poundage I have already gained up here in the land of Upstate!! So... we go running every morning from about 6:30 to 7:20-30 depending on how much we ate the day before. We run thru the crazed streets of YONKERS. We usually run down to the Hudson or to the schools. When I start getting tired and want to start heading back to the apartment I just begin to let my arms flail run weirdly- We laugh and both pretend to run like Phoebe from 'Friends'! Haha we get so many weird stares on the way home!!

These next few days coming up we have several BIG service projects planned- from helping people move houses to cleaning and landscaping backyards!! haha! We are excited. One of the Ladies we are helping on Saturday morning to move is a former investigator of the church- and she kept the number of the Missionaries for YEARS- and called us and asked us if we could help her move to her new apartment. CooL!

We have had some HUGE storms lately!! Flooding and lightning! The Bronx River Parkway was FLOODED on Monday- not just like wet- there was 2 feet of STANDING WATER on the road. The designers of the pkwy might have not understood the nature of the river right next to it... when it rains in NY, it RAINS. And when it RAINS, it FLOODS. haha! It looks really cool though- the windy road juts and dives in and out of the water with the hills it's built on. :) We had to find a different way up to the church and then to all the families we were going to teach that day.

Yesterday we were asked to visit 2 different people in 2 different hospitals by 2 different members of the Branch- one a member and one not. It was such a good experience. There is such reverence in a quiet hospital room, filled with family members of the critically sick, as they close their eyes and listen and pray in their hearts as we administer to the afflicted. We always explain to the person receiving the blessing and the family the meaning and power of the blessing and that it is in accordance with the faith of all those present and the will of the Lord. Almost always, it is a teary emotional and spiritual experience. We always leave feeling good- it always seems like everyone is on OUR side when we make special trips like that- when we explain who we are and what we are doing to the receptionist she smiles and says "oh yes yes yes" and gives us visitor passes- and even the guy at the pay booth in the parking garage, after we explain we are clergy from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, smiles and says "of course, sirs." and opens the gate for us. It's just a good feeling to be part of something so good.

I feel so blessed right now. We are teaching many incredible people. The area we are teaching in is VERY different from the ones I have experienced in the Bronx- It is much harder to find people to teach and many have very hard situations preventing them from being able to attend church. But we are keepin' out chins up and pushin' forward! We have seen many miracles already here- and I know there are more miracles to see!

Sister Dunagan and I are going to sing the same rendition of "All Creatures of Our God and King" but in SPANISH to our Ward this coming EASTER SUNDAY! HOORAY! HAPPY EASTER!

B safe, B swell, B jogging strangely!! ;)
The CHURCH is TRUE!
I cut my hair again! It's SUPER SHORT!
HAPPY EASTER!!
ALL my LOVE,

Elder Hellberg

April 13, 2011

Hello My DEAR HOME!!
HOW are you all DOING this week!?
This last week went by even FASTER than the LAST week! It's been a good one.

I'm having problems getting blocks of time to write... SO, THIS week I have decided to express how I am doing thru PICTURES!!

The Church is TRUE!
Always and Forever,

Elder Hellberg

hehe

***note from Carlie****

Because I'm am currently residing in China, the proxy that I access this website with cannot post pictures.

April 6, 2011

MY dear HOME!
Hello!
WHAT a wonderful weekend of CONFERENCE!! I just LOVED it! Many people have commented that this last conference was one of - if not - the best ever! There's something very POWERFUL to be felt knowing that all over the world, Millions of saints are gathered to listen to the Prophet and other leaders of the Church.

Things are going well- Elder Clark and I are doing awesome! We love our Yonkers pad... (Minus the parking situation... we have to manuever our large Chevy Malibu into the TIGHTEST parking space between to pillars I have ever seen. It seriously took me 11 minutes and a 27-point turn to get out the first time. Now i have down pretty good... like a 6 or 7 point turn... but it's still ridiculous.) BUT other than that all is going well there. We live with Elder Scott and Elder Stratton- two great Elders who serve in the English program here in Yonkers. Elder Clark is still familiarizing with the area and loves it so far- we have met all the members (not too difficult haha) and have begun our adventure!

Time is slipping away SO FAST! Sorry- I'm ONCE again out of time... I LOVE YOU ALL!
Always,
Elder Hellberg

March 30, 2011

DEAR HOME!!

-TRANSFER DAY-

Hello! I'm still here in the Deathly Hallows!! Elder Fotu got transferred up to Ossining- pretty close to this area- and I am TRAINING again!! SO funny- Elder Fotu was 6' 6" ... and my new comp, Elder Clark is 6' 6" too! BOTH huge football players. I don't think I've had a companion that is shorter than me. Haha! Elder Clark is from Layton, UT- and went to SUU! Haha in Missionary Lingo we say that the person you train is your "Son"- and Elder Mitchell, my OTHER son in the Bronx- is training too- making me a GRANDPA!! Hahaha!! Also, we moved from Port Chester to YONKERS- which is just like the Bronx but hillier (like... has more hills.) and a lot less potholes. !!

It seems like the last few weeks/transfer cycles have just BLOWN by. I can't believe already it's time for GENERAL CONFERENCE again!! For the which I am SUPER excited!! I still remember when I was with Elder Peine in Kingsbridge in OCTOBER for Conference! So crazy!

Today was a sad transfer!! I said goodbye to 3 Missionaries whom I LOVE! Elder Lopez, Elder Berry, and Elder FOX!! If you'll remember with me (waaaayy back in Olmstead..) Elder Fox and Elder Bayard took me under their wing after Elder Richardson took off a wee bit early leaving me ALONE for 2 1/2 weeks! So Elder Fox, by all Missionary means, is my Foster Dad. Bayard can be the Foster Mom. :D I still remember all of our good ole times... Herbert and Beyoncea the friendly house mice we loved until their dying day... Running from dark forces and kicking pidgeons... Mahaha! I'm going to miss him. :( All of them! Elder Berry and Lopez were with me in Kingsbridge! All of these people I love are LEAVING ME!! AHHH!

HEY all sorry not a lot of time today! Will write more next week! I hope!

Always~

Elder Hellberg